North Korea Geography: A Comprehensive Overview of the Korean Peninsula

Geography of North Korea Browse the article Geography of North Korea

Introduction to Geography of North Korea

North Korea, a country of eastern Asia. It occupies the northern part of the Korean peninsula, between the Sea of Japan on the east and the Yellow Sea on the west. North Korea borders China and a tip of Russia to the north, and South Korea to the south.

In 1945 Korea, which occupied the whole peninsula, was divided into two countries—the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). North Korea, which has always had a Communist government, invaded South Korea in 1950. The invasion started the Korean War. In 1953, at the close of the war, the two Koreas became separated by an armistice line, around which a demilitarized zone, about 2½ miles (4 km) in width, was established.

Facts in brief about North KoreaCapital: Pyongyang.Official language: Korean.Official name: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).Area: 46,540 mi2 (120,538 km2), including islands and excluding the 487-mi2 (1,262-km2) demilitarized zone. Greatest distances—north-south, 370 mi (595 km); east-west, 320 mi (515 km). Coastline—665 mi (1,070 km).Elevation: Highest—Paektu-san (Paektu Mountain), 9,003 ft (2,744 m) above sea level. Lowest—sea level.Population: Current estimate—23,059,000; density, 495 per mi2 (191 per km2); distribution, 62 percent urban, 38 percent rural. Chief products: Agriculture—barley, corn, millet, potatoes, rice, wheat. Manufacturing—cement, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, metals, processed foods, textiles. Mining—coal, iron ore, magnesium, phosphates, salt, tungsten. Fishing—pollock, sardines, shellfish, squid.Flag and coat of arms: North Korea's flag has a horizontal red stripe between two thin white stripes on a blue background. The flag and coat of arms of North Korea have a red star that represents Communism. Rice and an electric power plant on the coat of arms stand for the importance of agriculture and industry to the North.Money: Basic unit—North Korean won. One hundred chon equal one won.

Facts in brief about North Korea

Physical Geography

North Korea is a country in East Asia.Land

North Korea has rugged, mountainous terrain, with barely one-fifth of its surface in lowlands or plains. Few of the mountains are high compared to those of some other Asian countries, but there are few places in North Korea where mountains cannot be seen.

Lowlands are chiefly between the mountains and the coasts. Only a narrow coastal plain lies along the eastern shore; to the southeast, however, the plain widens and extends well inland along the Naktong River valley. The most extensive lowlands are in the west, stretching northward from the South Korean border beyond Pyongyang. The southern and western coasts are heavily indented by bays and dotted with islands. Some 50 miles (80 km) off the southern coast is the large island of Cheju, which is part of South Korea.

Water

Rivers are generally short, winding, and fast-flowing. A few streams drain northward into the Yalu or Tumen rivers, but most flow from the eastern mountains across the lowlands to the Yellow Sea. Among the larger rivers are the Taedong, the Han, and the Kum. A number of rivers provide power to operate large hydroelectric installations.

Climate

There are sharp contrasts between the seasons, with cold winters, warm, humid summers, and monsoons. In winter, cold dry air flows out of Siberia, dropping average temperatures over most of the peninsula to between 20° and 30° F. (-7° and -1° C.) and even lower in the northern mountains, where winters are long and severe. In summer, warm and moist southerly winds bring frequent rains and temperatures ranging from 70° to 80° F. (21° to 27° C.).

Precipitation averages 30 to 50 inches (760 to 1,270 mm) annually, except in the far north. There, as little as 20 inches (510 mm) is received each year. Much snow falls in North Korea. Typhoons occasionally move up from the South

Vegetation and Wildlife

In the mountainous areas, evergreen forests of fir, larch, pine, and spruce are extensive . Forests of deciduous trees and pines prevail elsewhere. Overcutting and clearing for agricultural purposes have depleted many forests, causing serious soil erosion in some areas.

Wild animals, including wolves, bears, leopards, and tigers, are still found in some of the sparsely settled mountainous areas of the north.

Economy

After the Korean War ended in 1953, the economy of North Korea reduced its heavy dependence on agriculture, and industrial production grew rapidly. Heavy industry led the growth which lessened after the 1970's because of droughts, mismanagement, and rising debts.

The main manufactured products are cement, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, metals, processed foods, and textiles. The government owns most of the factories.

North Korea mines all the coal it needs. About three-quarters of North Korea's energy is produced by coal-burning plants. The rest of the country's energy comes from petroleum-burning plants and water power. North Korean mines also yield iron ore, lead, magnesium, phosphates, salt, silver, tungsten, and zinc.

The government also controls all of North Korea's farms. Most farms are collective farms, known in North Korea as cooperatives. Workers on these farms receive a share of the products and some cash payment. State farms, also owned and managed by the government, pay wages to workers. Most of North Korea's agriculture takes place in its western plains region. Rice is by far the chief crop. Other major farm products include barley, corn, potatoes, and wheat.

North Korea's fishing industry is concentrated on its eastern coast. The catch includes pollock, sardines, shellfish, and squid. Fishing cooperatives operate on both coasts.

Railroads carry most of North Korea's long-distance freight and passenger traffic. North Korea has greatly expanded its highway network since the mid-1960's. Buses operate in the cities and for short distances in rural areas. Almost all cars are government-owned and are intended for official business use. Many city people ride bicycles. North Korea operates an airline. The state runs the entire transportation system.

North Korea's chief trading partners are China, Japan, and Russia. North Korea's leading exports are mined products, chiefly iron ore, lead, tungsten, and zinc. North Korea also exports cement, coal, machinery, rice, and textiles. Its major imports are grain, machinery, petroleum, and transportation equipment.

People

Virtually all the inhabitants of the peninsula are Koreans. They are a Mongoloid people, who apparently migrated in prehistoric times from what is now Manchuria.

The Korean language is believed to be unrelated to any known tongue. There is, however, a strong infusion of Chinese words in the vocabulary. A phonetic alphabet—originally 28, now 24 letters—has been in use since 1443.

Education is free and compulsory through five years of primary school (which begins at age six), four years of middle school, and two years of high school. The major institution of higher learning is Kim II Sung University at Pyongyang. Technical education and the teaching of Communist ideology are stressed in North Korean education. The North Korean government discourages religion, and virtually no religious activities occur openly.

Government

The North Korean Constitution says that political power belongs to the people. But the country's Communist Party, called the Korean Workers' Party, holds the real political power and controls all aspects of life. The chairman of the National Defense Commission, Kim Jong-il, is the head of state and North Korea's most powerful official. The Central People's Committee is the most powerful policymaking body. It usually has about 20 members.

North Korea's legislature, called the Supreme People's Assembly, has 687 members, elected by the people. The Communist Party selects all legislative candidates, who run without opposition. The legislature meets only one or two weeks per year.

The State Administrative Council carries out government policies. It is headed by a premier, who is appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly. Its other members are heads of government ministries and commissions, who are appointed by the Central People's Committee.

North Korea's military is one of the largest in the world. It has a one-million-member army, an air force of about 85,000 members, and a navy of about 45,000.